The literal meaning of Zuō is to suck or draw in with the mouth—gathering the lips to extract liquid or the essence of something. Common examples include "sucking milk," "sucking marrow from a bone," or "taking a small sip of wine."

This word also appears in the book, such as in the context of "drawing in a few breaths of the medicine's qi."

Some literary hacks occasionally act as mouthpieces to cause harm, claiming that Zuō is ungrammatical. While some colloquialisms may not strictly adhere to formal grammar, they authentically convey useful values to the reader. Beyond a certain point, grammar simply cannot encompass everything; even new scientific discoveries cannot be boxed in by old grammatical rules. Through the Lens of Zhen (Truthfulness)

Measured by zhen, the act of Zuō is a pursuit of truth. It is not satisfied with surface-level pretenses but reaches directly for the marrow. A "true" drawing-in means honestly facing one's own deficiencies and sincerely absorbing knowledge or energy. Through the Lens of Shan (Compassion)

Viewed through shan, one must examine what is being drawn. If it is a parasitic, "spiritual blood-sucking" that benefits oneself at the expense of others, it is evil. A "compassionate" drawing-in should be like an infant nursing to sustain life, or a gentle savoring of the world’s beauty—seeking coexistence without destroying the foundation. Through the Lens of Ren (Forbearance)

Regarding ren, Zuō requires patience and the absence of haste. When facing a hard bone, one cannot obtain the fragrance of the marrow without the steadying power of ren. A "forbearing" drawing-in means settling into the wait; it means not plundering greedily out of temporary scarcity, but maintaining one's rhythm within the smallest of spaces. The Philosophy of Life

Use zhen to knock open the shell of appearances. Use shan to transform the bitterness at the bottom. Use ren to wait for the honey of time.

Life does not always require a giant leap. Sometimes, simply calming the heart to sip the aftertaste of life is enough to sustain us through the long wilderness.

The quality of life lies not in the abundance of what we swallow, but in whether you can draw the "true flavor" out of the fragments of the mundane.

Note: Having encountered the word Zuō in an extremely precious book, I have shared its literal meaning and my personal inspirations here. For the deeper, inner meanings, one must read the original book in its entirety!